


A Three-Part Rumor

by mooglecharm (morphaileffect)



Series: The Set-up [2]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: CCTV, Comedy, Fluff and Humor, Humor, Innuendo, Is that Dino Ghiranze writing under a pen name, M/M, Protective Lunafreya Nox Fleuret, Protective Noctis Lucis Caelum, Romantic Comedy, Rumors, We may never know for sure, Worried Noctis Lucis Caelum
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-19
Updated: 2020-09-19
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:08:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,895
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26542702
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/morphaileffect/pseuds/mooglecharm
Summary: Leaked CCTV footage showing Ravus bridal-carrying an unconscious Ignis from one hotel room to another causes diplomatic complications.
Relationships: Lunafreya Nox Fleuret/Noctis Lucis Caelum, Ravus Nox Fleuret/Ignis Scientia
Series: The Set-up [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1930120
Comments: 10
Kudos: 32





	A Three-Part Rumor

This is a rumor in three parts.

The first part consists of what servants at the Citadel had heard.

They’d heard that there was a video circulating on the Lucian Web, mainly on pornography sites, about a grainy CCTV video that people speculate might have been taken from a corridor in the supposedly more secure floors of the Leville Hotel in Altissia.

In the video, two young men, widely identified as advisers to the King and Queen of Lucis, were caught in - shall we say, a compromising position.

Specifically, the adviser to the Queen was caught on video, bridal-carrying an unconscious adviser to the King from one room to another.

It must have happened at some point during their mission to Altissia to firm up trade routes, muckrakers speculated. The timestamp on the footage matched it.

At one point, the adviser to the Queen - her older brother, Ravus Nox Fleuret - had propped the adviser to the King - Ignis Scientia - up against the wall beside a closed door, and then pressed up against him in an unmistakably suggestive manner.

Some would call this manner “groping.” Others, “grinding.”

That moment did not last long. The Queen’s adviser produced a key out of nowhere, used it to unlock the door, then proceeded to bridal-carry the still-unconscious King’s adviser into the room.

The door shut after them, and nothing more could be seen.

Perhaps nothing happened that night. And if you would ask the advisers themselves, they would confirm that nothing did.

Not on _that_ particular night, at any rate. Ignis had fallen asleep from exhaustion. Ravus had carried him to his room, and settled him into bed. That was all.

But those few glorious seconds caught on camera were enough to cause a minor scandal in multiple continents.

The Leville in Altissia at first denied the CCTV footage came from their hotel. But dozens of rebookings later, they decided to own up and say it _did_ come from them, specifically from one of their more prestigious floors.

However, they assured their loyal patrons, they had disabled those cameras as soon as the footage leaked, and they had identified the potential leakers among their staff and are conducting intensive investigations.

The hit taken by the Leville’s summer income notwithstanding, there was one more problem with that video:

Allegations of sexual impropriety on the part of the Queen’s adviser reached the ears of the Lucian royal couple.

In public, they completely ignored the matter. When pressured to comment, they simply said the allegations were “ludicrous”, sharply denied ever having seen the video in question, and refused to say any more.

But in private, the Citadel’s servants said, it was another story.

A snippet from a late-night conversation overheard by anonymous attendants to the royal chamber went thus:

(fan art from the Unofficial Lunoct Fans of Lucis page)

**The King:** See? Right there. When he set Ignis down on his feet for a sec. You're telling me Ravus wasn't feeling him up?

 **The Queen:** Darling, _clearly_ Ravus was digging through his pockets for the room key.

 **K:** And he couldn't have _asked_ for it instead? Look, Ignis' eyes were closed, he might have been asleep or drunk or worse...

 **Q:** (angrily) "Worse"?? What are you implying?

 **K:** Come on, darling, you already told me he was Ravus' type...

 **Q:** (shocked) That doesn't mean my brother drugged him!!

 **K:** I'm not saying he did!! Not saying he did. It's just, you know, Ravus is the kind of guy who won't take no for an answer, and someone who knows that about him may get the wrong idea because, to the casual observer there's an issue of -

 **Q:** (groans loudly)

 **K:** \- there is an ISSUE of CONSENT!!

It was a long night. Their attendants could barely hear the rest of the conversation because they had decided to drop their voices, lest people speculate that they were snooping around porn sites for leaked videos of their advisers.

***

The second part of that rumor is speculated to have come from within the ranks of the royal diplomatic corps of Insomnia - or, at least, to people working closely with them, who were not as bound by rules of discretion.

There was talk that the issue of the leaked video caused a bit of damage to the reputation of both advisers, well-known for their combined efficiency at bargaining tables.

For how could other nations trust a “power team” that was secretly boinking each other?

A handful of former Niflheim nations discreetly refused to proceed with talks that involved the two. At least until the situation of their clandestine personal dealings had been publicly clarified.

Some former Niflheim soldiers who were now engaged in rebuilding efforts sought clarity, too: was a former high commander of their military consorting with a Lucian out of spite for his old station? Was it a slap in the face of those who had been proud to take up arms for Niflheim, against Lucis? 

These were the questions that other dignitaries asked:

How long had it been going on? Was the royal house of Lucis keeping their relationship a secret, because they were ashamed of it? Was there _something_ to be ashamed of? Was the boinking even _consensual_?

These questions and more plagued the royal advisers.

So much that they had to come out with an official statement.

And that statement was a strongly but politely worded “We are indeed dating, but we remain loyal to the throne and people of Lucis, and will continue to serve both to our highest capacity.”

Very soon afterwards, it was slightly modified to “We have, in fact, moved in together. But we remain loyal to the throne and people of Lucis, and will continue to serve both to our highest capacity.”

The two didn’t have to be sent away on a new mission so soon after the rumors broke. They volunteered.

Mainly so that their temporary absence would turn people’s attention away from their private affairs...

But also partly so they could have some alone time together, away from wagging tongues and prying eyes.

***

And the third part of the rumor came from the fandom.

Fandoms are, of course, not a new thing. Queen Lunafreya had her own loyal following. So did King Noctis. They were “Lunoct” to their fans, long before they were married.

Their two advisers also had their own devoted followers. Unofficial fan clubs for both, as well as for the King’s two other close friends, Prompto Argentum and Gladiolus Amicitia, and even for the fallen Ardyn Izunia, existed in every continent.

But an international group of devoted “Ravnis” a.k.a. “Fleurentia” fans made its presence known, corresponding and connecting via the Lucian Web, or works of art smuggled across borders. Since the leak of the “Altissia Leville scandal” videos, they grew in intensity and number, soon rivaling the “Lunoct” and “Gladnis” fandoms in their fervor.

And thanks to these fans, the third part of the rumor spread like wildfire.

A particular account of a certain fan known only as “suchlonglegstheyhaveomg” made the rounds. They introduced themselves as a journalist stationed in Galdin Quay, and _claimed_ that they personally witnessed an exchange between King Noctis and his adviser, Ignis Scientia, who happened to meet at the seaside restaurant in Galdin Quay because it was a halfway point for them, as they attended to their separate duties for the crown. As they met there, the Queen and her brother met elsewhere.

The account goes thus:

“Just,” the King said, “tell me he’s not forcing you into anything.”

The adviser uneasily brushed strands of hair back behind his left ear, briefly revealing an elaborate, bright silver filigree cuff earring that had already made its way to _tons_ of fanwork and cosplay.

“Noct,” he said in a patronizing tone. “When have you known me to be ‘forced’ into anything, in your entire life, or mine?”

“That’s not an answer,” the King retorted.

The adviser sighed.

“Our feelings run both ways,” he patiently said. “But admittedly, Ravus can be a bit more...insistent. Than I am. If there are any more leaked videos, I must warn you now, it may look like an ‘issue of consent’ a number of times. I can only assure you now that it never is.”

The King seemed to choke on the water he was drinking.

“I did not need to know that, shit,” he sputtered, wiping spilled water from his lapel with his bare hands.

The adviser chuckled. And reached out with a clean napkin to help dry the King’s raiment.

(This made an impact on the eavesdropping fan-journalist, because they did not know the adviser to laugh in public, _ever_.)

“You asked,” he said to the King, as he laid the used napkin to one side. “And you know me, Noct. The last thing I want is for my personal affairs to be a matter of international concern. But here we are. And you may as well know everything.”

The King was sulking. It was not a new sight, said the fan-journalist (who sounded like they’d known the King since he was a Prince, somehow?), but he sulked _royally_ this time, if that made any sense...

“Just tell me you like him, Specs,” he said eventually, quietly. “Enough to risk your name for him. Enough to forget everything he’s put us through, and to iron out everything this scandal is doing to our diplomatic efforts. Enough to stomach me checking in on you every now and then to make sure he hasn’t hurt you. Because even if Luna loves him and will defend his goodness with her life, I swear to the gods I will kill him if he breaks your heart. Or any other body part of yours.”

Suddenly, the King’s adviser smiled. (“And I tell ya, readers, I tell ya, on my word as a journalist, it was like the first rays of sunlight shining through a batch of the finest uncut emeralds.”)

“I know,” he said softly. “Thank you.”

The King met him smile for smile across the table. Then he asked:

“Aren’t you going to promise to save me from Luna in case she does something to me, too?”

The adviser chuckled again, louder this time.

(“Readers, you’ll fall in love with that laugh, I swear to ya.”)

“Not a chance,” the adviser answered. “That’s your own lookout. But I’ll tell you what - you can move in with Ravus and myself if you’re having a hard time. I can cook for you.”

The King winced. “Sorry, but...not even your cooking will be enough of a draw for that, Specs.”

“The offer is open nonetheless,” the adviser assured him. “If you get to know him better, you may change your mind about him. Did you know, for example, that he likes playing videogames, too?”

The King stared. “...Really?”

“Yes. He learned about them from Talcott, the last time we were on a mission in Caem. But...videogames are not a common thing in Tenebrae; he did not grow up with them. It takes him a while to get used to the controls for every new game. He often...what’s the word? ‘Ragequits,’ I believe."

The King laughed. And his adviser laughed.

And rumors of all the things they had been laughing about that night spread throughout Eos. Thanks to the superfan known only as "suchlonglegstheyhaveomg."


End file.
